The Cecil Whig., 1887-06-25
Women IS Fruit RdiSGTS and Florists


lN''r h'Ss''l III SplIiJ vi lhC aims VI CDiu
mercial life which were previously re
garded as fit only for men. Lack of
ability has b. no means been the cause
of woman 5 sexcnsion; neithe have doubts
aS to her energies hlndered her admit
tance into business circles. Popular PIE
judice, alone, has been the gigantic oh
Sta"e which she has been forced lo sur
mount before the lords of creation would
concedc her the slightest vantage ground
twenty-five years ago, a woman who at
tempted to engage III mercantile enter
PRISE or profession which would have
brought her into active competition with
men, would have been made at once to
suffer social Obloquy, and probably would
have been driven out OF the field. Now
all professions are tree to women who
can PASS the regular examinations in the
chosen work and various employments
are open to them in the fields of trade
and commerce.
AS cashier in mercantile business,
woman is found preferable to man; her
account are generally kept more accu-
rately. her books present neater appear
ance, and last, but by no means least,
she is never d defaul5er. AS a mauipu-
lator OF the type writing machine, and an
expert in The art of short hand, woman
is at least mans equal. Throughout the
catalogue of business pursuits in which
wOmf n have sought occupation, success
has been won. AS yet the same services,
II gwen by men, are more highly rcmu-
uerated, and this difference has been the
entering wedge in comretition-tne rea-
son why women are given the preference
i'll work which comes within their ply
steal capacity. Having at last gained a
foothold on the ladder Of equality with
man, she will surely ascend to the top
most Iuug.
In the business of cultivatlng fruits
and flowers, surrounded by the delicious
aud beautiful gifts of nature, woman 5
advancement has been most marked
Her position in this respect has brought
her less prominently before the world,
because OF the comparative isolation of
the labor required, but her success is not
the less complete. In the field, as au ac-
tual worker as well as a director, woman
has found a place which she can fill with
advantage She comes to the work en-
dowed with al inborn love for fruits and
flowers far excelling that possessed by
man, a love which will master all diff
cultieS. And this kind of labor proves a
pauacea for the aches and pains which
ailiict American women and girls. Work
among fruits and flowers straightens
rounded shoulders. expands contracted
chests, and brings TO the cheeks bloom
which can never be secured in other
occupations.
From financial point of view woman
rates higher than man in this field She
brings to the business keen solicitude
as to the minor details of the work These
often prove the most important. Man,
in his self confidence, is apt to neglect
such details, and hence comes to grief.
Instances OF success in fruit and flower
growing by women are by no means rare; {;
in fact, they arc more frequent. in pro-
portion to the number attempting the
work, than is the case with mems enter
priSes. In large experience in and
among fruit growers and florists, both
male and female, We cannot recall a single
instance in which woman has failed,
who engaged in the work faithfully,
energetically and with a determination
tn succeed.
Oar larger cities already contain the
establishments of women florists who
have made aud are making for them.
selves and families good livingS, and, in
many cases, are laying the foundation for
Independence. Turning the leaves of
our horticultural directories on every
page we find the names of women as flor
lists or engaged in the nursery business,
from Maine TO California: and year after
year these same names roappcar with &d
ditIons, showing that business failures
among them are infrequent.
IN the distinct field OF fruit-groniug,
women are yearly doing admirable ser
vice, for which they are we'll rewarded.
An interesting case came under the
writer observation some years ago \
young lady residing in one of the smaller
towns in western New York, who had
been brought up Oh farm, though re
Ceiving between the ages of fifteen and
twenty liberal education in a neighbor-
ing city, was at the age of twenty one
left IN orphan. She was an only child.
and found hers, II, after the settlement of
the estate, the soc posscssor of a thirty
acre fam, with buildings, team OF
horses implements of farming and the
sum of $50 in cash The homestead Of
ninety acres had to be sold to satisfy
claims on the estate. After due deIib-
Grafton the young lady decided to retain
~
advised to tie contrary by friends who
supposed that as = matter of course, the
farm would be managed in the usual way
that it would be worked by sowe one
on shares, or supervised BY 4 high priced
man. But uur yGuug lady friend had a
different idea. \ fruit ialm w2S her OBJ
,iective point and with well matured
plans she bent all her energies to its at,
+,i I,,.r,r,l
two acres had been allotted to straw
berries some time before, which would
bear the fist main crop the season fol
lowing her entry upon the farm. She
Immediately had this bed cultivated and
fernIized, doing all bat the heaviest
work with her own hands. TIE crop
netted her about $ll0 She had some
knowledge of fruit growing, and pro-
ceeded to read, digest and put into prac-
tice the ideas and directions Of authori-
tauiye writers on the subject The next
step was to increase her stock of plants,
adding raspberrics, black ckbcrrcs, cur
rants, grapes, otc. Year by year the
area OF frultraiSing "as iudjciously in-
creased but not to the extent OF causing
interference with thorough cultivation
and the utmost care aTi system in pre-
first class fruit WAS allowed to leave the
premises. Sheds were erected on the
fields, in which the fruit was sorted as
soon aa picked. Such methods, includ-
ing cleanliness of crates and baskets, and
placing the fruit attractively therein,
enabled her to obtain from one to three
cGnts quart more for her berries than
neighboring male competitors who
shipped their products without sorting
good, bad and indifferent being all in the
same crate.
At the end of six years, here is the re-
suit: The homestead of ninety acres has
been bought back, paid for in cash, and
the land Is i'll process of being laid out
into orchards, small fIuit plantations,
vineyards and vegetable beds. a poul-
try yard, which cXcites the envy Of her
ueighbcrS, adds largely to her income,
and Il SNUG bank account is ready for a